markwebb

Man - my sis and I did a 51 mile ride Saturday and it was horrible for me. Temps low 90's, terrain rolled continuously - we were always climbing. A lot of 10-15mph headwind, too. The heat got to me. I did not drink as much as I should because the water got hot and the red gatorade in my other bottle tasted thick and like syrup - so with nothing refreshing to drink it felt like I hit a wall and was roasting in the sun (btw the route was in almost total sun very little shade).

I also have some neuro problems from damage to my spinal cord in lower lumbar up to lower T areas, so my autonomic system does not regulate my core temp as well as a normal person, either.

I need advice on keeping cool. I already ordered some Polar 24oz bottles. Today I experimented with normal bottles; at 89 degrees and 90% humidity a 20 oz bottle with 8oz water frozen overnite and then filled with ice and water before my ride was completly melted and warm after 40 minutes. Hopefully the Polar will keep water cold and ice still intact for 90 minutes or more which will help.

I usually wear a skullcap to keep sweat from dripping in my eyes and burning - I have mixed feelings on them. They get soaked with sweat so there may be evaporative cooling effects with them, but don't know if they hold too much heat in and negate any evaporative cooling benefits.

Any other ideas???? It's embarassing to have my little sister kick my butt all over the road - I gotta find ways to stay cool so I can keep up with her.

Thanks - and keep spinning !!!!

sentinel4675

I know the liquids were warm, but maybe mixing the water and gatorade together would water the syrupy taste down a bit.

oboeguy

Get a do-rag style of helmet liner. I'm sold on them as of this season. The Polar bottle is OK but not magic. Maybe if you put in lots of ice it works better. Gatorade is lousy when it's warm. I find Accelerade palatable even warm, plus it digests better (protein FTW).

I've had the Polar bottle for all of two rides and the best use of it while climbing (well, beside drinking from it) is to pour cold water over the head and neck. Ahhhhhhhhh, so nice and refreshing! Obviously this only works if you're not going to run out of fluids quickly, which is why I have a Camelbak for longer rides (I can pour all I want from my bottle then); CB with Accelerade, bottle with water is a great combo.

ericgu

+1

Gatorade - especially the pre-mixed stuff - is way too sweet, and it's really hard to drink any reasonable amount. Look for a real hydration drink that you like - I also like Accelerade, but you may not.

I use a camelback for water, and then bottles for my accelerade.

markwebb

what is do-rag style helmet liner?

derath

On really hot days, a camelback with 50% ice and filled the rest with water is nice both on my back and to drink.

-D

Nubie

I also have temperature regulation issues (mine is more suprasellar) and now I despise hot humid weather.

Polar bottles are good but not great. A Camelbak is better, especially when filled with ice or partially frozen overnight. It's nice and cool on your back and you're better hydrated because it's easier to drink from than a bottle.

A doo-rag helmet liner made of Coolmax is also good, something like this:
https://www.rei.com/online/store/Prod...HP_CYCLING_TOC

linux_author

- i ride year-round, and during the summer down here, the temp hits 92F+ w/a high humidity... getting acclimated helps (i don't use A/C), but keeping hydrated, even during the winter, is essential - and even more so when doing long rides...

+1 on the camelback, but i have to admit i don't use one... i have seen some interesting approaches for hydration (saw one fellow with a large tank and mouth hose affixed to a front wheel rack)...

- i don't bother freezing, as i feel that cold water isn't as important as water intake... YMMV...

- i find that if i use about one-third of the Gatorade powder mix as per recipe, the taste is acceptable - much more than that and the drink is too sweet... i have also done one-half recipe mix in one bottle and plain water in another...

- good luck on finding a solution... i'd experiment to find one that works for you...

grahny

50% gatorade, 20% water, the rest ice in one bottle (by the time the ice melts, it mixes the gatorade up so it's not too sweet and thick)... ice cold water in the other. I use polar bottles and they are great in temps under 85 degrees.. anything more and even the ice melts within 30 minutes and the liquid warms up. The best I've been able to do is find a place on my routes to get ice cold water to refill the bottles and to dump on my head to cool off. Also make sure to hydrate like crazy the day before the ride... that may help a little with the core temp.

kensuf

Low 90s sounds like a nice cool day for those of us here in swampland.. Having said that..

Polar bottles don't work as well as I had personally hoped on longer rides. They seem good for about 90 minutes or so, but eventually any ice/etc will melt and the liquid will warm up.

On my weekend rides, which are usually 3+ hours, I carry a camelbak filled with water and two 24oz polar bottles filled with gatorade. I put about a dozen ice cubes in it and 1.5l of water before leaving the house, and I drink the water in addition to what's in my bottles. We'll also usually take a quick break after about 2 hours, at which point I'll put some more water in the camelbak.

Ken

GP 

For electrolyte replacement drinks, I like Heedhttps://www.arequip.com/Products/Hammer%20HEED.htm or Hydralyte https://gookinaid.com/. I can drink the Heed at full strength but I cut the Hydralyte in half so it isn't as sweet.

I also always wear 2 shirts, a wicking T or tank top and a jersey over it.

I think skullcaps are a little warmer so I use a cotton bandana around my forehead instead.

The only other suggestion I have is to train as much as possible in the heat.

bbwolfy

I wear a "do-rag" that i got in the ethnic hair section at WalMart. It cost like two dollars is thin and keeps sweatout of my eyes, and the bugs out of my hair.

grahny

I've also read up that it takes time to condition your body to very hot temps... I have issues early in the summer with these hot, humid days that pop up... the more you ride in them, the better your body will be able to handle it. Just don't push it if it really affects you... it may just take longer for your body to acclimate itself to the temperatures.

acape

I've been wondering this for a long time: what do YMMV and FTW mean?! I know IIRC and IMHO, but these two have me stumped...

[EDIT: I ask here only because they both occur in this thread, and I don't think a whole thread to ask the question is really necessary.]

Hop on Bike

+1 Sounds counter-intuitive, but I actually feeler cooler with a base-layer on...even on the warmest days.

I've tried the different kinds of cycling skullcaps and agree that they raise the temperature of my head, make me sweat more, and don't keep the sweat off of my face; I prefer a simple coolmax headband from Performance that I fold in half and tie behind my head. The knot fits in the space below the helmet and above the adjustable band, and it keeps all sweat off of my face.

oboeguy

WTF? UD FTW!



N0ob.





Seriously, Urban Dictionary will help you with most such questions. YMMV = your mileage may vary. FTW = for the win.